| Did You Know?
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The
Rideau Canal is North America's oldest operating 19th-century
canal. Most of the locks are still cranked open by old-fashioned
muscle power.
- The original purpose of the Rideau Canal was to provide a
safe supply route between Montreal and the Great Lakes in case
of attack by the United States.
- The canal was one of the greatest engineering feats of the
19th century requiring the construction of 24 dams and 46 locks.
- The area was a wilderness when the Canal was built -- despite
the northern climate, many of the workers died from malaria
in the mosquito-infested swamps.
- At the Ottawa River end of the Canal, head engineer, Lieutenant
Colonel John By, founded a community called Bytown. It later
changed its name to Ottawa and became the Capital of Canada.
- In the winter, the Ottawa portion of the Canal is made into
a gigantic skating rink the longest
in the world.
An Historic Waterway In the wake of the War of 1812, British
North America feared attack from the United States. Engineers
built the Rideau Canal between 1826 and 1832 as part of a secure
supply route between Montreal and Kingston.
Today, the Canal appears much as it did over 150 years ago with
limestone locks, hand-operated cranks, wooden lock master houses,
and stone supply buildings. Parks Canada presents exhibits and
programs which tell of the amazing feats of the canal builders
and the evolution of the Canal from military route to recreational
waterway.
A Waterway for All to Enjoy
Today,
the Rideau Canal is one of the Capital's most popular recreational
areas. In the summer, canoes and motorboats ply the waters, while
walkers, joggers, cyclists and in-line skaters enjoy the recreational
pathways alongside. In the winter, 8 kilometers are cleared to
become the longest outdoor ice-skating rink in the world.
See A Virtual Tour |